Tumultuous welcome for world champion Sneha Rana at Graphic Era University

Dehradun, 14 November. World Champion player Sneh Rana of the Indian women’s cricket team received a grand welcome at her university, Graphic Era, where students showered her with flowers on her arrival.
The world champion cricketer Sneh Rana said that when she started her career, no one believed that women could build a career in cricket. Despite this, her family and friends supported her at every step.
At the Silver Jubilee Convention Centre of Graphic Era, students welcomed Sneh Rana with flowers and the beats of dhol and nagadas. Speaking to the students at the grand ceremony, the all-rounder said that her friends always motivated her to move ahead and never let her go astray. “Whenever I drifted even slightly, my friends corrected me instantly,” she said.
When she was asked about her preparation, Sneh said that establishing an identity for women’s cricket was the biggest challenge of her life. When she began playing cricket, there was very little awareness about women’s cricket in Uttarakhand, which forced her to move to Punjab. Leaving home at a young age was also not an easy challenge.
Sneh Rana advised the youth to choose any field they like but work with complete dedication, focus, and patience. “Whatever you do, do it with your heart. Never give up. Success never comes instantly,” she said.
Quoting her belief, she added, “Truth is neither mine nor yours — the truth is struggle.”
She thanked Graphic Era for the immense support and affection she received and said that Uttarakhand has great potential in sports. She also shared that after every wicket she makes a special symbol to thank her late father. She is currently an MBA student at Graphic Era.
Chairman Graphic Era Group of Institutions Dr. Kamal Ghanshala  said that returning to the national team after an injury was a huge challenge. After recovering from her leg injury, Sneh Rana made her way back into the national team after five years — something that was truly remarkable. He said that 15–16 years ago, when women’s cricket was not considered a career, Sneh’s parents believed in her and encouraged her to move forward, which is a significant thing.
He added that Sneh Rana is a great inspiration for girls across the country, especially in Uttarakhand, and now girls too can dream of making a career in cricket and achieving it.
Dr. Ghanshala encouraged the youth to develop sportsmanship, saying that it is this spirit that motivates us to rise from defeat to victory. He said that no matter which field youth choose, they should also play sports because sports make a person mentally and physically strong. “When people lose motivation after failure, a sportsperson works even harder after every defeat,” he said.
Chairman Dr. Kamal Ghanshala and Vice-Chairperson Dr. Rakhi Ghanshala of Graphic Era Group of Institutions felicitated Sneh Rana and her mother Vimla Rana, and presented Sneh Rana a reward of ₹11 lakh. She also signed the university’s bat, ball, and T-shirt.
The event was attended by Pro-Chancellor Dr. Rakesh Sharma, Vice-Chancellor Dr. Narpinder Singh, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Dr. Santosh S. Sarraf, Registrar Dr. Naresh Kumar Sharma, Sneh Rana’s manager Divya Bajpai, Abhishek, and other officials, faculty members, and students. The programme was conducted by Saahib Sablok.